Leah
Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat
snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular
new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the
world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that
he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.

Sam
sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's
date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now
the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and
make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam
has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her
decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going
quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . .
before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.

Right from the start, I knew that this was going to be a
fun story, and I was not disappointed. I
simply adored this book! It was
such a cute story that had me laughing out loud throughout. Leah and Sam were great characters but my favorite
was Sam. Gosh, how I loved his
character! Bless his heart, he just
didn’t know the correct way to convey his thoughts and at times caused some
pretty hilarious moments. Sam and Leah seem like real people with real
problems that most of us can relate too which made this hilarious adventure
even more enjoyable.

Although somewhat predictable, Size Matters had just the
right amount of humor and passion which made this an enjoyable read. Alison Bliss is a new author for me, but I am
now a fan! Her writing is spot on and
there was never a dull moment. Matter a
fact, there were several scenes that were so hot and steamy, I felt myself
blush as I was reading – Ms. Bliss can rock the sex scenes for sure!

Overall, this was an amazing story that I couldn’t put
down – wonderful from start to finish. I
thought that this was a great start to the A Perfect Fit Series and I can’t
wait to see what comes next!

4 stars

Leah
Martin nearly choked on her beer.

“What
do you mean just pick one?” Her eyes
scanned the entire bar before settling back on her friend. “Pick one what?”

“A
guy, of course.”

Yeah,
because it was just that simple.For
Valerie, maybe. Even though they were close in size, Valerie always wore her
weight better and turned heads everywhere she went. It probably helped that she
had expressive doe eyes, wavy platinum-blond hair, and looked more like a
cutesy toy poodle any guy would give their right testicle to take for a walk.

“I
hate to tell you this, Val, but that only applies to women who look like you.” If
Leah had to classify herself in that same frame of reference, she’d accurately
describe herself as a Bulldog. Not only did she have the breed’s innate stubborn
streak, but she also had the matching broad shoulders, wide hips, large chest,
and—if she didn’t lose a few pounds—probably the same short life span. “Hippy
brunettes with body image issues and smudged eyeliner don’t get the luxury of just pick one.”

Yep, that about sums it up. My eyeliner
is the only thing that looks decent on me tonight.

The
little black dress she wore was just that—too little—and was slowly squeezing
the life out of her. Especially after packing on ten extra pounds in the last
few months. The sheath of fabric clung to every curve, as well as every bulge. Thank
God they lived in Texas instead of Alaska or an Eskimo might’ve mistaken her for
a seal and tried to skin her.

“Okay,
stop being negative. You’re gorgeous, and lots of men love curvy women. I
should know. Now pick one.”

No
point in arguing with her. Once Valerie set her mind to something, she didn’t
stop until the mission was accomplished. But the only time Leah had ever had
her pick of anything was when she stood in front of the doughnut case at work,
deciding between a chocolate éclair or a cream cheese danish.

“How
am I supposed to know who to pick? It’s not like they wear signs on their
foreheads saying, ‘I dig fat chicks.’”

Valerie
shot her an exasperated look. “We’ll just establish a baseline for the kind of
guy you want.”

“The
kind of guy I’d want wouldn’t be hanging out in a bar called Rusty’s Bucket. In
fact, I wouldn’t be here either if you hadn’t forced me to come.”

“Leah, you got dumped. Happens to all of us
sooner or later.” Valerie’s voice softened as she reached for Leah’s hand. “It
sucks, I know. But you’re always at work or upstairs in your apartment, which
means you never leave that damn building. It’s not healthy. You can’t hide out
forever.”

“I’m
not hiding. I’ve just…been busy. I
never imagined I’d be this swamped only a month after grand opening, and I’ve
had to put in a lot of extra hours.” Leah caught Valerie’s I’m-not-buying-it
expression. “Come on, Val. The wedding is tomorrow night. Everything has to be
perfect because...well, you know.”

Valerie
rolled her eyes. “Why does it even matter?”

“Because
my reputation is at stake. It’s my
cake the happy couple will be stuffing into each other’s mouths. They can choke
on it for all I care, but it’s going to be the tastiest damn wedding cake
they’ve ever eaten while keeling over. Everything has to go as smoothly as
possible, and I have a million things to do before tomorrow night. I still need
to—”

Valerie
raised her hand to stop her from continuing. “What you need is a break. Let’s
find some guys to dance with and have a few hours of fun before you lock
yourself up in the cave again. Just humor me, okay? Now, what would say your
dream guy’s most attractive quality would be?”

Her
gaze sifted through the crowd, landing on two men at the bar. While the one
standing motioned to the bartender, the other rolled up the sleeves of his blue
button-down shirt, drawing Leah’s attention to his tanned, muscular forearms. When
he finished, he bumped his elbow against the other man’s ribs and said
something that made them both laugh. The warm, amused smile he wore sent a zing
of pleasure through Leah, like she’d been given a intravenous shot of
serotonin. Him. I’d want him.

Alison Bliss grew up in Small Town,
Texas, but currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. With
so much testosterone in her home, it's no wonder she writes "girl
books." She believes the best way to know if someone is your soul
mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's
obviously meant to be. Alison pens the type of books she loves to read
most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy
or two. As she calls it, "Romance...with a sense of humor."

Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle,
is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is
ambushed in a London alley-and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger
with the unmistakable curves of a woman.

IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE

Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the
perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy,
dealing in information and secrets. By night she's the notorious Ghost of St.
Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds
herself succumbing to temptation . . .

ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER

When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her
worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same,
will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be-before the Lords
of Chaos destroy them both?

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling
author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane
series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing
"mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances
under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with
three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the
long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

The ebook edition of WICKED INTENTIONS, the first book in
Elizabeth Hoyt’s bestselling Maiden Lane series will be FREE from November
28 through December 12! This is a great opportunity to introduce friends
to the series! On December 13 the price returns to $5.99.

Victor Arquette knows the meaning of sacrifice. Destined to legendary status in mixed martial arts, his life is founded on it. Dedication equals sacrifice, and sacrifice means around-the-clock training, no partying, no junk food, no alcohol—and no women.Helena von Isenlohe is the heiress to Kyria Castle. Due to her father’s lack of financial prowess, the restoration of the ancient German estate rests on Helena’s shoulders. A failed attempt leaves a wealthy man alone at the altar—and the fleeing bride on a plane to the United States.A chance meeting, and Victor and Helena’s chemistry is undeniable. Except, her presence clutters his focus. Victor shouldn’t crave their nights, shouldn’t be concerned where she is or with whom. And meanwhile in Germany, Kyria Castle deteriorates at a suspicious speed, indebting Helena further to the man she left behind.Victor and Helena believe in duty. They embrace sacrifice. But when love strikes, it strikes hard, and sometimes you have to choose where your heart is truly at home.

HELENA
My cheeks warm with embarrassment at the people waiting behind me. A female employee helps me unclasp the diamond bracelet and matching necklace. The crown though is impossible to get out of my princess ’do.

“Can I wear it through the security portal?” I ask, broken shoes in one hand.“No, I’m sorry. It will buzz,” the security person explains. “The portal is created to alert us to most metals besides gold and silver.”I can’t tell him I wear gold. Real, irreplaceable, century-old heirlooms. He wouldn’t believe me anyway. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to try.”He lifts his arms in subtle agreement, a have-it-your-way, and I enter the booth, walk out without incident. Employees from two checkpoints stare at me while I pick my stuff off the band. I shake my head, slowly at first, but then I have nothing to say, no witty comeback, and my flight instinct kicks in. I get up on my toes so I don’t stumble in the too-long skirt and stride as slowly as I can into the transit hall.I need to not stress the hell out. Just, I wish someone was with me to talk me down. I could call Elfriede. I don’t have my phone. I need a new phone. God, how pathetic am I?Once I’m sure security isn’t following, I haul butt down the corridor. Tiles are cold under bare feet, it turns out. I’d step into my shoes again, but one of them is broken. Would people stare less if I limped and my heels creak-clacked against the floor?A high-end fashion store beams in the distance. “We’ll help you blend in. Hurry, hurry,” it calls. I run. Benches are in the way. I’m getting clumsy. I’m panicking. Suddenly, a potted palm tree appears out of nowhere, half-blocking my view of the Promised Land, and my torso doubles around it as I slam to the ground.I let out an ungraceful oomph. And realize I’m not on the ground after all. No, there’s an arm around me, and miraculously I’m on my feet, wobbly but sort of erect.“You all right?” an American accent asks.“I was going to Cloe’s over there,” I explain in German, pointing feebly and not feeling as regal as I’ve been taught. Dark eyebrows contract from within a tanned face above me.“Sorry?” His arm is still strong around me, really freaking strong, and somehow I’ve got a death grip around it while trying to pry him off.I translate the same stupid sentence to English. “I was going to Cloe’s. It’s over there.”His brows are perfectly thick or thin and their arcs are so perfectly perfect they look like they’ve been combed, but then the furrow between them smoothens and I discover his eyes.Oh.

Between studies, teaching, and advising, Sunniva has spent her entire adult life in a college environment. Most of her novels are new adult romance geared toward smart, passionate readers with a love for eclectic language and engaging their brain as well as their heart while reading.Born in the Land of the Midnight Sun, the author spent her early twenties making the world her playground. Southern Europe: Spain, Italy, Greece--Argentina: Buenos Aires, in particular. The United States finally kept her interest, and after half a decade in Los Angeles, she now lounges in the beautiful city of Savannah.Sometimes, Sunniva writes with a paranormal twist (Shattering Halos, Stargazer, and Cat Love). At other times, it's contemporary (Pandora Wild Child, Leon's Way, Adrenaline Crush, Walking Heartbreak, and Dodging Trains, coming in late March 2016).This author is the happiest when her characters let their emotions run off with them, shaping her stories in ways she never foresaw. She loves bad-boys and good-boys run amok, and like in real life, her goal is to keep the reader on her toes until the end of each story.

Friday, November 18, 2016

New York Times
bestselling author JB Salsbury makes her Forever debut with a stand-alone
unforgettable new novel, with a twist no one will see coming . . .

What
do you do when you wake up with no memory of what you did last night?

Lucas spent the first half of his life protecting
himself from others, but now his own mind is his biggest enemy. He doesn't know
what happens when the blackouts overtake him, but he can recall the
feelings--the rage, the confusion, the fear. Thankfully the quiet life he's
found in Payson, Arizona has kept the darkness at bay. Until his boss's
estranged daughter shows up in town, asking questions she shouldn't and
sparking a desire Lucas can't control. Getting close to Shyann is the best
thing that's ever happened to him, but when his blackouts return, unleashing
the truth he's battled so long to hide, he may just lose her forever . . ..

Occasionally,
a book comes along that consumes you and lights a fire in your heart that you
can’t possibly contain. That book for me
is Split by JB Salsbury and it has been a long time since I became so
emotionally invested in the characters in a story.

First
off….take a look at that cover, specifically the eyes of the model on the
cover. They just challenge you to open
up the book and take a risk as you begin this reading journey full of
impossible twists and turns and pleading with you to love the man behind the
eyes. Plus, he’s hot, so that has to be
appreciated. Yes, I admit I am a sucker for covers, and this one spoke to me
like none other. Anyway, let’s start on
my thoughts…..

The
prologue is truly what got my attention and from that point I just knew that
this book was going to be one of those that I couldn’t put down and spend every
single minute of day reading. Guess
what? That’s what I did every single minute
of the day – reading this heart-stopping story until the very last page was
read. Not only was this a great story –
it was simply AMAZING!

With
her big dreams of a better life, Shyann all but abandoned her family and
friends, discarding them like an old rag.
She had high aspirations for her life and wanted nothing more than to
escape her small town and go to the big city to become the best News
Broadcaster the world has ever known.
Her career comes to a halt however and she has no choice but to return
home with her ‘tail between her legs’ as she tries to save enough money to try
to give her career another shot. Life
however has other plans for Shyann and when she meets one of her father’s
employees, Lucas, those plans don’t seem quite as important as before. I’m not
going to lie. When I first ‘met’ Shyann,
I didn’t like her - but she finally won me over with her understanding and
heart of gold.

Lucas. Oh, my gosh…this man will always a special
place in my heart. Although he has no
recollection of the horrible night, Lucas was accused of murdering his entire
family but released on a technically several years prior. He’s a quiet one and tries to mind his own
business, and he finds solace in the small town of Payson, Arizona – that is
until Shyann returns home. Trying his
best to keep Shyann at arm’s length, there is just something about her that
makes him desire to open up and trust again. But will his haunted past collide
with his future and will the person that is always there to protect him from
getting hurt allow Shyann into his heart?
This, my dear reader is for you to learn as you begin this roller
coaster ride of emotional ups and downs.

This
review was difficult to write without giving too much away, because I believe
the reader needs to travel this journey without really knowing what is going on
until it unfolds before you. What I will
say though is that this story is raw and somewhat dark yet it’s also a story
full of hope and love that can withstand even the darkest of storms. Ms. Salsbury’s
style of writing is engaging and the story line tugs at your heart while the
riveting plot keeps everything moving smoothly.
I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to write some of the scenes
because as a reader I found myself crying and my heart breaking at the
descriptions of abuse that Lucas and his siblings had to endure at the hands of
their monsterly mother. I am giving
Split a well-deserved 5-star rating and would highly recommend it to all my
friends as it is raw, sexy, emotional, and intriguing from the very first page
to the very last.

“You can’t jump.”

She narrows her eyes on me. “Of course I
can.”

“Is it safe?”

My grip on her grows tighter and she steps
close enough that I can feel the heat of her breasts brush against my ribs.
“Lucas, do you trust me?”

“No.” The word comes out on a shaky whisper.

A gentle grin softens her face and with both
her hands she works to relax my hold enough for her to slip free. Seconds later
she turns, takes four long strides, and disappears off the rock cliff.

A holler that can only be described as guttural
exhilaration echoes off the canyon walls and slices through the trees.

I race to the edge and there’s nothing but a
circle of white bubbles marring the once shimmering pond.

I wait for her to surface, and just when I’m
about to jump in and rescue her, her head pops up out of the water with a feral
howl.

“That was amazing!” She waves at me. “The
water is perfect!”

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I
allow myself a moment to wonder what it would be like to be as free as Shyann.
Everything I do is weighed against the danger of doing it. The threat of
blacking out always pulling me back to walk the safer, less risky side of any
situation. But something about her makes me want to try harder, makes me want
to take a risk like other twenty-five-year-old guys. The sound of her squealing
lights a fire in my chest that has me wanting to jump.

Risking a blackout might be worth the few
seconds of euphoria I haven’t felt since…I can’t remember.

I think of backing away and yelling for her
to meet me at the truck, but something pulls me toward her. Part of me wonders
if it’s nothing more than wanting to be close, to keep her safe, because she
belongs to Mr. Jennings and I owe him. But even as the thought enters my mind,
so does another.

New York Times bestselling author
JB Salsbury spends her days lost in a world of budding romance and impossible
obstacles. Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media
Communications. Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The
Fighting Series and won a RONE Award. JB Salsbury lives with her husband and
two kids in Phoenix, Arizona.

Abby is looking forward to spending time with Danny's family as they settle in to celebrate their first Christmas together. Little does she know, Danny has something up his sleeve for this holiday.Short story approximately 5,000 words.

Debra Presley is a USA Today Bestselling author and native New Yorker who made her escape to the suburbs. She often returns to her hometown to visit her favorite deli for a bagel with butter, because there’s no better bagel than a New York bagel. When not in search of bagels, Debra spends her time running Book Enthusiast Promotions, an online promotions company that helps indie authors spread the word about their books. She’s also the owner of The Book Enthusiast blog.She started writing lyrics in her wall-to-wall NKOTB bedroom at the tender age of thirteen while dreaming of the day she’d become Mrs. Jordan Knight. That dream never came to fruition, but she has continued to write.

Followers

~The Avid Book Collector is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This does not change the purchase price for the consumer.

~The Avid Book Collector is a participant in the The Book Depository Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to The Book Depository. This does not change the purchase price for the consumer.

FTC Disclaimer

Some of the books that are featured on this blog have been provided by the author, publisher, NetGalley or other third party sites in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation or other consideration for any reviews, and the opinions expressed in the reviews on this site are done with honesty and are not swayed by any outside factors.